Rocky start.

Today was my exchange student orientation or "induction."

I expected the day to be just as challenging as it actually was.

The Commute was a nightmare.
At Mercer, I woke up at the ADPi House on Greek Row and walked ten minutes to my class.
This morning, I had to be at the school at 10:00 am. I left at 8:15, just to be safe. I even took a book because I planned to get there very early.
This is the route I will be taking to school Tuesday-Thursday:

Walk to Hyndland train station

Get on the train to Glasgow Central

Change trains to Paisley Gilmour 

Walk up Moss Street

Turn right on High Street

Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, I hopped on the train to Queen's Street, which wouldn't be a big deal if the man giving me directions to Glasgow Central didn't tell me to go right instead of left. When I noticed that I was actually leaving the city, I decided to turn around and try the other direction. I probably walked about four miles just switching train stations that were only a half mile apart. 

Um, awkward.

There are about 75 foreign exchange students at UWS. The exchange program is made up of two parts: the Erasmus exchange for students from the EU, and exchange students from a school (like Mercer) that is under contract with UWS.

I became immediately aware that most of the exchange students were in the Erasmus program--mostly French. My head was literally swirling at all of the languages going on in that room.

So, I am sitting there, minding my own business, when the Study Abroad coordinator walks up and looks at my paper to see where I'm from. He sees that I am a Mercer exchange student and his little heart just seems filled with joy. He asked if I wanted a coffee or tea (didn't offer to the other students) and said that UWS was so lucky to have a Mercer exchange student. I'm not going to lie, I was flattered. Then he mentioned that UWS and Mercer have a contract, so eventually I gathered that UWS makes big money from my attendance. 

I'll be damned if he doesn't walk to the front of the room, before the 75 exchange students, to say:

"Everyone, can I have your attention? We have a "special" exchange student from America! I hope that you will make her feel welcome and comfortable! Stand up, Kelsey. Yes, let's all make her feel welcome!"

And that is how I became the most awkward exchange student at UWS. 

XOXO-Kels

What a wonderful weekend!

This weekend was so great! 

First, I went to the UKA Aviva International match with Ian's sister and her sweet family. It took place in Kelvin Hall, a really cool building that used to be a barrage balloon factory (those massive balloons used in the military). Now, it is an international sports arena.

The countries represented at this match were USA (woo!), Great Britain, Germany, Russia and a Commonwealth Select team. The match was amazing and I am really glad I got the opportunity to go. The athletes were superhumans! GB won first place and USA came in last...only because our better athletes are preparing for a small match called the Olympics :)

Massive Russian Pole Vaulter

Team USA

L-R: USA, Germany, Russia, Commonwealth, GB Women's 1500 

Afterwards, Ian and I went out! On the way, we met this beautiful (and massive) Newfoundland named Mack. His owner said he was the runt! I WANT ONE SO BAD. 

 The absolute best  part of the weekend? Ian finally told me my birthday surprise! 

We are going to LONDON! He has planned an amazing trip. Can't believe it's only two weeks away!

 London Bridge, London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, National Gallery, Parliament, Madame Tussauds, St.Paul's, Tower of London, Les Miserables... you get the picture!

My school orientation or "induction" is tomorrow. I absolutely hate the first day of school--I get the jitters so bad! Hopefully I'll be able to get there and not make a fool of myself.

XOXO-Kels

  

Orange Whale.

IT'S ALMOST MY BIRTHDAY MONTH!!

Poor Ian! There's Valentine's Day, the very next day is my 21st, then the week after is our two year anniversary. Bless his heart, haha. He says he has an exciting trip planned, which I know will be awesome. He also jokes that we are hiking up a snowy mountain, which would not be awesome.

My school orientation is on Monday! I'm excited but very nervous. Will it be like Mercer's orientation, filled with awkward ice breakers and dumb games? I hope not.

If you are wondering why this post is titled Orange Whale, continue reading. If you could care less about my weight plus minor fake tanning problems, then I encourage you to just stop.

Last semester, I started eating well and working out regularly. I lost a pretty good bit of weight. Although I don't have a set of scales here, I am almost positive I have gained at least ten pounds. Why?

1. The weather makes you want to lay on the couch under blankets and eat everything in sight. I have put on a thousand layers to run, but making myself do that is really, really hard! 

2. They eat chips (french fries) with EVERYTHING. I know I don't have to eat them, but it's just so hard to resist. Back home, I had french fries in the freezer and if I worked out really hard, I would sneak a few. That only happened once a month. But here, french fries are included in every meal! For example, last night I had a mince pie (hamburger meat + potatoes) and french fries. 

That's red meat + carbs + carbs. Ahh!

As for the orange part... I am absolutely, 100% surely, definitely the palest girl in this whole damn country. I don't know if everyone goes to the tanning bed (so bad), gets spray tanned, or uses fake tanner. I do know that they are all so freaking tan. Normally I embrace my porcelain skin but after a while, you sort of feel like a freak. 

So, I decided to buy fake tanner. I told my mom that I planned to buy some fake tanner and she just laughed. I have tried it many times growing up and (for some reason) me and the bathroom always end up a streaky mess.

 I went to Boots (the Brit equivalent to CVS) and went to the fake tan isle. Holy crap.  My pale self stood there for 30 minutes trying to decide which product to buy. 

Do I buy a gradual tanner? Do I need the wash-off kind or the sweat proof? Should I go for the fair or medium shade? Do I need gloves? How do I put it on my back? Gel, mousse or spray? Wait, it takes ten minutes to dry? Oh this bottle has crystals on it! Should I get one with a shimmer? Can this go on my face? 

I decided to play it safe and go with a very cheap bottle of a gradual tanner. 

Unfortunately, there was nothing gradual about it. I put it on before bed (felt like a slimy mess and smelled like burnt fritos). I woke up looking like I rubbed red dirt all over me. 

Needless to say, this Orange Whale needs some work.
XOXO Kels

There's a fine line

between tan, and 

looking like you

rolled in doritos.

a British Vocabulary Lesson

Since my very first trip to Scotland in December 2010, I have had a growing list of British vocabulary in the back of my head.

I have learned that it is important to at least attempt to use their vocabulary because it could lead to some awkward situations if you do not.

For example, during my first visit. I was playing with Ian's "wee" niece, Katy, in the back "garden." She fell down on her "bum," and got really upset. We went inside to find Nana Wendy. Nana Wendy asked what happened, and, unfortunately, I replied "She fell down and hurt her fanny." Nana Wendy's eyes grew very large and she gasped.

It wasn't until months later that I found out the British meaning of the word "fanny."

Ian and I were at a theme park and I pointed out a lady with a "fanny pack." Ian's eyes also grew very large and he also gasped. Why? Well, because the word "fanny" actually means "vagina" in Britain.

Kill me.

So, I have developed a running list of British vocabulary.

British                    American

Mobile	Cell Phone
Fag	Cigarette
Bum	Bottom, ass, behind (you get the picture)
Chips	French Fries
Crisps	Chips
Boot	Trunk of a car
Knickers	Panties
Pants	Underwear
Lorry	Truck
Lift	Elevator
Chemist	Pharmacist
Trousers	Pants
Jumper	Sweater
Trainers	Tennis Shoes
Nappy	Diaper
Holiday	Vacation
Car Park	Parking Lot
Petrol	Gas
Scone	Biscuit
Bangers	Sausage
Sweeties	Candy
Ice Lolly	Popsicle
BIscuit	Cookie
Toilet	Bathroom
Bin	Trash Can
And most importantly:
Football (pronounced"fitball")	Soccer

Hopefully this list might help you if you choose to travel to GB. 

XOXO-Kels

Food Coma

Ian was off last night: yay!!

We went to Cafe Andaluz, an authentic Spanish Tapas restaurant on Byers Road. Ian has talked about this place for a long time, so I was thrilled to try it out!

The first thing I thought upon entering the establishment was "Are we in Dalton?!" The decor was very much like Mexican restaurants in the States. However, what we ate was far from the cheap tacos from back home.

My last two Tapas experiences did not end up that great. For some reason, I tend to order weird dishes like "Mexican Goat Cheese with a Chili Sauce," or "Carne Lasagna." Yes, I actually ordered those. So, this time, Ian ordered! Fried potatoes mixed in a spicy tomato sauce & alioli.

Patatas Bravas: Fried potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce and alioli (mayo-like sauce)

Fried potatoes mixed in a spicy tomato sauce & alioli.

Carne de Res Picante: Spicy beef on top of lettuce with manchego cheese and chorizo dressing

Pollo Rebozado con Miel (MY FAV): Crispy chicken in a Spanish honey and grain mustard sauce

Gambas Rebozadas: Fried prawns with a garlic-mayo dip

Mejillones a la Marinera: Mussels cooked in white wine, shallots, garlic, and finished with fresh cream.

Ian capturing my first mussels experience.

The aftermath.

The best thing about Tapas: Ian trying to pronounce the names of the dishes.

During dinner, Ian said that afterwords we could go to a pub and get a few drinks. Guess what my response was? "Let's go to Crepe a Croissant!" 

This is the Mega Marshmallow Crepe. It is a crepe (obviously) filled with warm, squishy marshmallows and NUTELLA! It comes with a cream that would make a grown man cry. 

I don't even want to know how many calories are in this thing.

So, Mom, I am obviously not starving over here. 

XOXO-Kels

World's Tallest Cinema

Last night, Ian and I had a movie date. We went to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which was fantastic! He kept stressing that the cinema was huge...I thought he was exaggerating! Cineworld happens to be the tallest cinema in the world! After getting your tickets, you hop on an elevator and ride to one of the six floors that house the 18 movie screens. Each floor has a bar, kids party room and concessions.

According to Wikipedia, Cineworld is 203 ft tall with 12 stories and can seat up to 4,368 people. 

With all of that room, you would think lines would be short, seats easy to get. Nope! Apparently since the '40s, Glasgow has called itself "Cinema City." It boasts the biggest theater attendance in all of the U.K.

Quite different from Amstar in Macon, GA :)

XOXO Kels

Glasgow Glam

On Saturday, we decided to hit the town of "Glasvegas."

Going out in Glasgow is a strange and sometimes frightening experience. The fashion, smoke machines, and techno music makes the experience intimidating. Going out in the States, consists of going to a friend's apartment, then catching the trolley downtown to a bar. It is common to wear a simple dress and flats, or jeans and a cute top. It would be quite uncommon to see a girl out in 5 inch pumps and a cocktail dress. However, in Glasgow, girls are very "glam." High (high, high) heels, short dresses, spray tans, and lots (lots, lots, lots) of makeup. Basically, no matter how much makeup I put on, I stick out like a sore thumb.

We started out at Cafe November, which is a bar on top of a gorgeous mall called Princes Square. I had a delicious French Martini (that cost me an hour's wage at the Med School library).  This is where I began my search for Glasgow's most Glam Girl. Every time I go out in Glasgow, I am in awe of the fashion choices. Tube tops, barely-there dresses, leather booty shorts--I applaud the women for being so fearless!

This first young lady clearly represents why I stick out like a sore thumb: spray tans. I probably look like a ghost floating around the clubs, haha. Also, I believe I wear just as much (if not more) makeup than the average American girl. Although I apply double the amount before going out in Glasgow, I am still pale in comparison (literally, pale). 

 As we were leaving Cafe November, this young lady caught my eye. This outfit would actually be considered modest.

We then ventured to Sugarcube, a new club in Glasgow's City Centre. The age to get into clubs here is 18, so, of course, I was asked for my ID. While we were waiting in line, Ian told me that there was a rumor going around that Gerard Butler was seen at Sugarcube a few weeks ago. I'm not going to lie, my heart fluttered a little bit.


Gerard wasn't out, but it turned out to be a great night. Sugarcube played fun music and more importantly, the walls were GLITTER. Love! Ian ran into some pals from secondary school and the girl said I looked like one of the Olsen twins, which made me laugh a little bit.

People-watching is one of my favorite activities, and Glasgow is obviously the perfect place to do it. Who knows? Maybe I'll get a spray tan soon!

XOXO-Kels

Inclement weather is for pansies!

Scotland is currently experiencing really strong winds...and it's not solely coming from Ian. The trains aren't working because, according to the news, 856 trees are down. 856 exactly!

Every time I go to leave the house, I look outside then decide to go right back to the couch and curl up under a blanket. I arrived on Thursday and I really haven't left the house since! Last night, Ian's family practically pushed me out the door. I think they were starting to worry about me a little bit, or maybe it was the permanent indention I was leaving on the couch.

Ian and I went to the only place you can go on such a windy night: the pub! As we pushed through the winds, I thought to myself, "There is no way this pub is going to be open, and if it is, there is no way anyone is going to be there." Wrong!

We had a few drinks and watched Ian's favorite team Manchester United lose embarrassingly to Newcastle.  Ian thinks that Man U loses when he watches this season. They lost to Man City, Basel, Blackburn and Newcastle all while he watched.

Believe it or not, the sun is actually shining right now. I think we are going to head into town and enjoy it while it lasts!

XOXO-Kels

My diet coke in a snazzy glass bottle!